Death Awaits
by cake'sprophecy
Summary: Harry goes back for his sixth year at Hogwarts even more angst ridden, though unbeknown to him, a tradgedy is about to happen.


**A/N: This is my first HP fic so I had better warn you that there are MAJOR  
OoTP spoilers in here ;) Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of the Harry Potter characters – They  
belong to JK Rowling :)**  
  
Harry stared hard at the oak door. He had been waiting outside Dumbledore's office for what seemed like an hour – though he knew it had only been about five minutes. Finally the large door creaked open and Snape walked out.  
  
"We do seem to make a habit of wriggling out of things don't we Potter?" Snape spat as he walked past.  
  
As Harry opened his mouth to give some sort of vicious reply, he heard the Headmaster's voice call him forward.  
  
"Do come in Harry," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry walked tentitevely into the office. He looked around as he entered and saw the familiar portraits on the wall, Headmasters of days gone by who greeted him with "Hello Harry," and "Harry! How are you?" to which he replied with a half-hearted smile.  
  
He walked past Fawkes - whose magnificent red plumage he gave a quick stroke and in return was given an affectionate nip on the hand – and up the stairs which led to Dumbledore's desk.  
  
Harry stood facing the Headmaster, watching his expression carefully. Dumbledore was looking onto the desk, staring as if transfixed by something - although the desk was clear. When he looked up, his face looked as if it had aged overnight.  
  
Gone was the usual twinkle in his eyes, replaced instead by bloodshot. He had frown lines on his forehead and his lips were tightly pursed. Harry raised his eyebrows in shock at this sight – and then lowered them swiftly. Dumbledore looked at Harry and said, "Professor Snape has expressed his concern, Harry, that you are not making a suitable level of progress with your Oculumency lessons."  
  
Harry had been forced to return to the Oculumency lessons with Snape when he came back to Hogwart's for this, his sixth, year.  
  
"Yea well he would say that," said Harry spitefully.  
  
"Harry I do not need to remind you that Professor Snape is doing you a great favour by giving you these lessons," Dumbledore softly replied.  
  
Harry felt it was no use to fight his case here, he had done so before without any success. He hadn't spoken to Dumbledore during the summer and hardly since his return this year, he felt slightly estranged to the man he once admired so much. The thought of this touched a nerve within him and a he felt familiar anger soar inside.  
  
"It is very important that you learn to shut your mind. Voldemort's ability to penetrate your thoughts is a dangerous advantage, Harry."  
  
Harry deliberately focused on a bookstand in the corner of the room. He was so sick of people telling him what was right and what was important. He was sick of Hermione's constant "are you alright Harry?" which came in five minute successions. He was sick of having to spend time with Snape each week trying to learn something he was making absolutely no progress with. He resented having to be in the castle and he...he had no one to talk to.  
  
There was Ron, but then...then...there had always been the reassurance of Sirius. Sirius, who had been the first father figure to him. The anger grew even more as he remembered the night in the Ministry four months previously. People had expected him to come to terms with the fact that Sirius was "gone". Harry had begun to care less and less during the summer of what would happen to him if he had to face Voldemort again. Before, he had a reason to fight, he had to fight for Ron, for Hermione and...for Sirius. But when he imagined the future now, he saw a hazy fog resting over it. It was like everything had changed, one night had changed his future.  
  
"Something on your mind Harry?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Harry blinked, waking himself up from the deep pool of thoughts that engulfed him. He shook his head.  
  
"No." Harry replied. He was used to keeping his thoughts to himself by now.  
  
"Well I suggest you keep attending your lessons with Professor Snape. Is there is anything else you would like to tell me?"  
  
Harry looked at Dumbledore resolutedly.  
  
"No." He repeated.  
  
"You may return to your lessons, in that case," Dumbledore said lightly.  
  
Harry turned to leave when he heard:  
  
"You are not alone Harry. Do not think that you are."  
  
Harry ignored this last gesture and continued down the stairs, past Fawkes, out past the paintings and out of the Headmaster's office. Thoughts of the fateful night replayed over and over in his mind until he reached the Gryffindor dormatory.  
  
"Giverius Navarroy" he said to the fat lady, who was sitting on a tree stump in the back-ground.  
  
"Very well," she said, swinging forward.  
  
Harry entered the common room, wanting nothing more than to go to bed and be alone with his thoughts. He realised there was little chance of this however, as he saw Ron and Hermione seated in chairs beside the fireplace.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione said, "How was your lesson?"  
  
"Snape decided it was useless continuing them as I am bloody awful at it and took me to see Dumbledore." Harry replied, throwing himself into the nearest chair.  
  
"Prat," sneered Ron.  
  
"Oh no, what did Dumbledore say?" Hermione asked sympathetically.  
  
"That I'll still have to have them or you could wake up with me trying to kill one of you," Harry said bluntly.  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks, both had their eyebrows raised very high.  
  
"Dont worry about it Harry!" Ron said cheerfully, though looking the total opposite after what Harry had just said. "You know that You-Know-Who will be lying low now that everyone knows he's back."  
  
That much was true. Harry's scar hadn't hurt much since the summer and he had no bad dreams these days. But there was always the quiet before the storm, he thought.  
  
"Yea Harry and as long as you are here at Howarts you are safe." Hermione agreed.  
  
"That lesson with Snape has left me feeling really tired," Harry said, "I'm just gonna go to bed."  
  
"Oh," Hermione replied, looking crestfallen.  
  
Harry stood up out of the chair and said good-night to his two friends. He then took the stairs up to the boys dormatories, falling onto his bed as he reached it. He fell asleep amidst a fusion of thoughts. Faces swam around his head, getting smaller and smaller until there was only blackness.  
  
"The boy sleeps, My Lord."  
  
"Yes, Wormtail, this will be the last he does for a while."  
  
Wormtail sniggered at this remark.  
  
"Dumbledore cannot expect that I would let him off lightly."  
  
"Indeed not, My Lord."  
  
"I had faithful servants stolen from me."  
  
"Yes, My Lord."  
  
"It is only to be considered fair that I would take something of their's in return."  
  
"Expected even, My Lord."  
  
"Yes, yes, expected."  
  
Voldemort closed his eyes in preparation.  
  
Harry's dreams were fierce. He dreamt of someone screaming...although this time it was not his mother...it was a boy's voice. "No! No! Don't!" The voice pleaded. Harry felt amused by this...he liked to hear the desperation and the fear in the voice... He deserved it..Yes...Harry thought...He deserved it.  
  
Something knocked Harry to the ground and he opened his eyes. Hermione was ontop of him, hitting him.  
  
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!" she screamed histerically.  
  
"What?" Harry said sleepily, his eyes only half open.  
  
But Hermione remained histerical and slapped Harry across the face several times. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!" she screamed again.  
  
"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Harry shouted, grabbing out at her arms, trying to restrain her.  
  
He managed to push Hermione to one side and get to his feet. He saw that his wand was lying on the floor beside where he had been lying. He saw Neville, Dean and Seamus crowding around something.  
  
"Whats happened?" Harry said, pushing past the group of boys.  
  
Then he saw it. He saw Ron, lying on the ground beside his bed, motionless.  
  
"Whats going on? Ron. RON," Harry shouted, "RON GET UP."  
  
But Ron did not get up.  
  
Harry looked to Dean, to Neville and then to Seamus and Hermione. All of their faces were tearstained. All of them seemed frozen.  
  
Harry walked to where Ron lay.  
  
"Ron," he said into Ron's ear.  
  
He shook Ron by the shoulder, "Ron mate get up."  
  
But Ron did not get up.  
  
Harry stood and turned to the others. "Whats going on?" He asked with mounting fear.  
  
"You had better go and tell Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, Neville," Hermione said, fighting back the tears.  
  
Neville walked away silently.  
  
Harry's eyes were wide.  
  
"But he's not..."  
  
"Yes Harry, Ron is dead," Hermione said, tears now falling freely down her face.  
  
"No..." Harry looked to Ron, who still had not moved, "NO! He...he.."  
  
Harry went again to Ron and shook him. He had to wake up, this wasn't happening, this wasn't how it was meant to be.....  
  
"Harry," said a voice.  
  
But Harry would not believe it, and so he continued to grip Ron's cold arm and shake. If he could just...  
  
"Harry," said the voice again. Looking up, Harry saw Professor McGonagall's face.  
  
Harry's legs crumbled beneath him. He sank beside his best friend's body.  
  
Professor McGonagall looked toward Hermione and said, "what happened here Miss Granger?"  
  
"Harry did it...it was Harry."  
  
Harry saw Dumbledore enter the room, stopping at the entrance to the dormatory and looking at the people who were there.  
  
"Dean, Seamus, help Harry to his feet," Dumbledore said.  
  
And so they did, though with much detest.  
  
"How did this happen Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall repeated.  
  
"Harry used the Av...Avada Kedavra...and..Ron....Ron died..." Hermione began to sob uncontrollably.  
  
Harry wobbled as he heard this.  
  
"I did what?" He said with complete disbelief.  
  
**A/N: So thats that! I think that Ron will die in one of the next two books, but I dont know if it will happen in that way!  
  
I love reviews...but please no flames!  
  
Claire.**


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